In Books
  • All Departments
  • In Books
  • In Bargain Books
  • In eReading
  • In Kids' Books
  • In Teens' Books
  • In Toys & Games
  • In Video Games
  • In Lifestyle & Paper
  • In Movies & TV
  • In Music
  • In Used & Rare Books
  • In Used & Rare Movies & TV
  • In Used & Rare Music
Advanced Search
Wicked

Average rating: 4/5

Based on 6 ratings

Rate this

Wicked

by Gregory Maguire

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS | October 5, 1995 | Hardcover

Following the traditions of Gabriel GarcÃa Marquez, John Gardner and J.R.R. Tolkien, Wicked is a richly woven tale that takes us to the other, darker side of the rainbow as novelist Gregory Maguire chronicles the Wicked Witch of the West's odyssey through the complex world of Oz -- where people call you wicked if you tell the truth.

Years before Dorothy and her dog crash-land, another little girl makes her presence known in Oz. This girl, Elphaba, is born with emerald-green skin -- no easy burden in a land as mean and poor as Oz, where superstition and magic are not strong enough to explain or to overcome the natural disasters of flood and famine. But Elphaba is smart, and by the time she enters the university in Shiz, she becomes a member of a charmed circle of Oz' most promising young citizens.

Elphaba's Oz is no utopia. The Wizard's secret police are everywhere. Animals -- those creatures with voices, souls and minds -- are threatened with exile. Young Elphaba, green and wild and misunderstood, is determined to protect the Animals -- even it means combating the mysterious Wizard, even if it means risking her single chance at romance. Even wiser in guilt and sorrow, she can find herself grateful when the world declares her a witch. And she can even make herself glad for that young girl from Kansas.

In Wicked, Gregory Maguire has taken the largely unknown world of Oz and populated it with the power of his own imagination. Fast-paced, fantastically real and supremely entertaining, this is a novel of vision and re-vision. Oz never will be the same again.

Save 34 %

$28.00
$18.48
$17.56

In Stock

Add To Cart
Qty
Used from $5.29
All Editions Online Member
Kobo Edition (eBook) $9.99 n/a
[+] Trade Paperback $13.68 $13.00
Trade Paperback $15.20 $14.44
Audio Book (CD) $42.89 $40.75
Audio Book (Cassette) $51.50 $48.93

This item is found in: Fiction and Literature

  • Eligible for FREE Shipping on orders over $25. + Details.

Reviews

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 1/5

    Not good

    Samantha

    2 years ago

    I read this book before it became a play, mostly because of all the hype around it. It was awful. The plot dragged, the author barely went into the issues (political oppression, racism, etc.) that Oz was supposed to have, and the unnecessary and vulgar sexual references distracted and ruined the story (eg: mountain passes likened to a very vivid description of a woman).

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 2/5

    High Expectations Ruined it

    Lindsay

    2 years ago

    I think the book's downfall came from the fact that I saw the Broadway play first (which was absolutely magical)...this story is only remotely similar to the play that was based upon it. I found the book to be much darker, much slower, much more convoluted and slightly boring

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 4/5

    Everything I'd hoped it would be!

    BookThia

    4 years ago

    This is my second book by Maguire, and I have to say it was a wonderful, exciting and yet exploring story. By inventing a 'back story' for the infamous Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz, Maguire tells an epic tale of a bizarre and fantastical land and a woman who struggles to find her place in it. Elphaba (a homage to L. Frank Baum) is born with green skin -- marked as different in a land where Animals can speak and magic is taught in schools. As she struggles to both fit in and stand out, Elphie (as she is known to her friends) struggles with questions of religion, with politics and with loyalties to friends and family. Obviously we know how the story ends... but its the getting there that is so fantastic. And the ending is, somehow, a wee bit different now. Not quite so black and white...

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?
    John Watson

    Rating: 5/5

    Wicked is...well, wicked!

    John Watson

    13 years ago

    I apologize if I am gushing over this tome, but it truly is a memorable read.

    This spin-off adult novel, combining elements from the original "Wizard of Oz" children's series by Frank Baum and the classic MGM movie musical pays homage to Elphaba, the infamous Wicked Witch of the West.

    From the earliest moments of a little green child, to her university days as roommate to Glinda (the Good Witch), to her eventual confrontation with Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West is portrayed as a strong woman, full of heart and compassion...and even, dare I say it...a soul.

    You'll never be able to look at the Witch in the same light again.

see more

Product Buzz

Who's Listing as Top Ten

Who's Blogging

Details

From the Publisher

Following the traditions of Gabriel GarcÃa Marquez, John Gardner and J.R.R. Tolkien, Wicked is a richly woven tale that takes us to the other, darker side of the rainbow as novelist Gregory Maguire chronicles the Wicked Witch of the West's odyssey through the complex world of Oz -- where people call you wicked if you tell the truth.

Years before Dorothy and her dog crash-land, another little girl makes her presence known in Oz. This girl, Elphaba, is born with emerald-green skin -- no easy burden in a land as mean and poor as Oz, where superstition and magic are not strong enough to explain or to overcome the natural disasters of flood and famine. But Elphaba is smart, and by the time she enters the university in Shiz, she becomes a member of a charmed circle of Oz' most promising young citizens.

Elphaba's Oz is no utopia. The Wizard's secret police are everywhere. Animals -- those creatures with voices, souls and minds -- are threatened with exile. Young Elphaba, green and wild and misunderstood, is determined to protect the Animals -- even it means combating the mysterious Wizard, even if it means risking her single chance at romance. Even wiser in guilt and sorrow, she can find herself grateful when the world declares her a witch. And she can even make herself glad for that young girl from Kansas.

In Wicked, Gregory Maguire has taken the largely unknown world of Oz and populated it with the power of his own imagination. Fast-paced, fantastically real and supremely entertaining, this is a novel of vision and re-vision. Oz never will be the same again.

From the Jacket

When Dorothy triumphed over the so-called Wicked Witch of the West in Frank Baum''s tales, we heard only Dorothy''s side of the story. The Wicked Witch we think we know is the predictable, green-faced villainess straight out of MGM''s imagination. But there''s more to the story than that. Where did the Wicked Witch come from? How exactly was she wicked? Why shouldn''t she want her sister''s charmed shoes? And, most important, what is the true nature of evil? Years before Dorothy and her dog crash-land, another little girl makes her presence known in Oz. This girl, Elphaba, is born with emerald green skin - no easy burden in a land as mean and poor as Oz, where superstition and magic are not strong enough to explain or to overcome the natural disasters of flood and famine. But Elphaba is smart, and by the time she enters the university in Shiz, she becomes a member of a charmed circle of Oz''s most promising young citizens: her roommate Glinda, a dippy socialite with a knack for sorcery; Boq, the lovelorn Munchkin; Fiyero, a tribal prince from the primitive West of Oz; and Nessarose, Elphaba''s beautiful, religiously witchy sister, who lacks nothing save two arms and the spirit of compassion. Elphaba''s Oz is no utopia. The Wizard''s secret police are everywhere. Animals - those creatures with voices, souls, and minds - are threatened with exile. Young Elphaba, green and wild and misunderstood, is determined to protect the Animals - even if it means combating the mysterious Wizard, even if it means risking her single chance at romance. Ever wiser in guilt and sorrow, she can find herself grateful when the world declares her a witch. And she can even make herself glad for that young girl fromKansas.

About the Author

Gregory Maguire is the bestselling author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, Mirror Mirror, and the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men. Wicked, now a beloved classic, is the basis for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Maguire has lectured on art, literature, and culture both at home and abroad. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

Hardcover

416 Pages, 6.5 x 9.5 x 1.31 in

October 5, 1995

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS


0060391448
9780060391447

From the Critics

"... [a] magical telling of the land of Oz before and up to the arrival of Dorothy and company.... A captivating, funny, and perceptive look at destiny, personal responsibility, and the not-always-clashing beliefs of faith and magic. Save a place on the shelf between Alice and The Hobbit --that spot is well deserved." (School Library Journal)

< close and return to chapters.indigo.ca
kobo
  • Take your library with you wherever you go
  • Use the device you want to use… smartphone, desktop and many of today’s most popular eReaders
  • Use Indigo gift cards to buy eBooks and subscriptions

WHY KOBO?

We love the Kobo eReading service… and we know you will too. We’ve partnered with them to bring you the most flexible, enjoyable eReading experience in Canada.

SHOPPING ON KOBO

You’ll be asked to sign in or create a new account with Kobo. Once you do, you’ll immediately get access to millions of titles and be ready to start eReading. Anytime. Anyplace.

continue to kobo

Protected by Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Legal Notices and Terms of Use | Privacy Policy  

Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation © 2010

Powered by EndecaVeriSign SecuredEssential Accessibility 

As Canada’s purveyor of ideas and inspiration, Indigo is the largest book, gift and specialty toy retailer in Canada. Indigo operates in all provinces under different banners including Indigo Books & Music; Indigo Books, Gifts, Kids; IndigoSpirit; Chapters; The World's Biggest Bookstore; and Coles. The online channel, www.indigo.ca, features books, eBooks, toys and gifts and hosts the award winning Indigo Online Community.

131